GROUP C
DENMARK
* World Cup Record: Played four, won three, lost one, tied 0, goals for 10, goals against 6.
* Best Finish: Second round, 1986.
* 1994 Showing: Did not qualify.
* Coach: Bo Johansson. A native of Sweden but readily accepted by Danish fans after he defeated the Swedes in his first game in charge. A fierce opponent of defensive-minded soccer.
* Players to Watch: Peter Schmeichel, Marc Rieper, Michael Laudrup, Thomas Helveg, Brian Laudrup.
* In Brief: Blessed with the most supportive and least troublesome fans in Europe and always looking to play attacking soccer, Denmark’s popularity extends beyond its borders. It made many fans in the 1986 Mexico World Cup and even more when it won the European Championship in ‘92, but few stars from those teams remain and the Danes must work hard to advance.
* Quick Quote: “Football is moving in the wrong direction, becoming too defensive.”--Bo Johansson
* Forecast: Second round possible.
FRANCE
* World Cup Record: Played 34, won 15, tied five, lost 14, goals for 71, goals against 56.
* Best Finish: Third place, 1986.
* 1994 Showing: Did not qualify.
* Coach: Aime Jacquet. After four years in the pressure cooker of being coach of the World Cup host nation, Jacquet will step down after France 98.
* Players to Watch: Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane, Robert Pires, Youri Djorkaeff, Stephane Guivarc’h.
* In Brief: France has home-field advantage, it has had years to prepare without having to qualify, and it has a star-studded roster, with Zinedine Zidane being widely hailed as the one who will shine the brightest. Who the goals will come from, however, remains a mystery because no true striker has emerged to claim the position.
* Quick Quote: “As hosts, we must reach at least the semifinals. We don’t have any other choice.”--Aime Jacquet
* Forecast: There is no reason not to expect reaching the final four.
SAUDI ARABIA
* World Cup Record: Played four, won two, lost two, tied 0, goals for 5, goals against 6.
* Best Finish: Second round, 1994.
* 1994 Showing: Eliminated by Sweden in the second round.
* Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira. The man who coached Brazil to the world championship in 1994 does not have to worry about scaling those heights in ‘98, but the Saudis expect him to get them out of the first round.
* Players to Watch: Mohamed Al-Deayea, Khalid Al-Muwalid, Saeed Al-Owairan, Sami Al-Jaber, Fahad Al-Mehalel.
* In Brief: Saudi Arabia was one of the surprises of USA ‘94, where it defeated Morocco and Belgium and became the first Arab team to reach the second round of a World Cup. Saeed Al-Owairan scored one of the goals of the tournament and could star in France.
* Quick Quote: “I think this will be a far more competitive tournament than USA ’94.”--Carlos Alberto Parreira
* Forecast: Has enough skill to reach the second round, but that’s all.
SOUTH AFRICA
* World Cup Record: Debut.
* Best Finish: Debut.
* 1994 Showing: Did not qualify.
* Coach: Philippe Troussier. Another of the many Frenchmen hired by African teams, he coached Nigeria before being fired, then Burkina Faso. Nicknamed “The White Witchdoctor.”
* Players to Watch: Philemon Masinga, Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe, John “Shoes” Moshoeu, Benedict McCarthy.
* In Brief: The 1996 African Nations Cup champions and 1998 runners-up will either be inspired by their first appearance on the world stage or they will suffer stage fright and fall at the first hurdle. In forward Benni McCarthy, South Africa has a budding world star.
* Quick Quote: “We could be very dangerous.”--Philippe Troussier
* Forecast: They’ll go three games and out.
